Automobile direction signal switch



Jan. 10, 1939.

W. MOELLER AUTOMOBILE DIRECTION SIGNAL SWITCH Filed A ril 15, 1957 I 2 Sheets-Sheet l wa 4; 290L011 W- W AUTOMOBILE DIRECTION SIGNAL SWITCH Filed April 13, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 g awe/MM Willi; am M oeZZer l W U E ML 7 W -WW Patented Jan. 10, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMOBILE DIRECTION SIGNAL SWITCH William Moeller, Freeport, N. Y.

Application April 13, 1937, Serial No. 136,691

2 Claims.

My invention relates to trafiic signal devices which are located on automobiles for the purpose of indicating to approaching vehicles or persons whether the particular vehicle is in motion or at rest, and when in motion, in which direction it is moving.

Primarily the invention has for an object to provide a signal box and means to operatethesig nals carried thereby to indicate whether the vehicle is running forwardly or whether it is backing.

Further,

the invention has for its object to provide an improved automatically actuated switch device for controlling the indication of forward motion and rearward motion.

Other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out hereinafter.

To the attainment of the aforesaid objects and ends the invention still further resides in the novel details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, all of which will be first fully described in the following detailed description, and then be particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my automatic switch as applicable to a speedometer drive at any place where two sections thereof may be coupled together.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the automatic switch unit, the case being shown in section.

Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure is an end elevation of the switch, the case being shown in section.

Figure 5 is a detail elevation of the distributor shaft.

Fig. 6 is a detail view of the drive shaft housing.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of a slight modification, showing how the unit may be adapted for mounting on the back of the speedometer case.

Figure 8 is a circuit diagram showing how the switch actuates certain signals in the signal box.

In the drawings, in which like numbers of reference indicate like parts in all the figures, I represents the base of the automatic switch, which base I is composed of suitable insulating material. The base is provided with a set of holes 2 for the contact bolts 3 and a set of holes 6 for the bolts 1. The bolts 3 and 1 have their heads held in countersunk portions 4 of the base I, while nuts 8 hold the bolts 3 and I in place.

The bolts 3 have extension rods 5 which serve as contact terminals to cooperate with the contact ends l3 of spring contact arms ll having portion l0 held in co untersinks or recesses 9 in the base I by the bolts and nuts I, 8. The arms ll may have arcuate insulator 42 on the operates in a maner clearly understood.

In order to hold th portions l2 with which the circuit closer arm 40 cowhich will be later more e arm in a neutral position while the vehicle is at rest, a neutral spring I5 is provided which pa base is bent down and is held in place b and 3). The spring hole 43 in the arm 40.

sses through a hole in the and into a loop or eye l6, y a screw I! (see Figures 2 l5 passes loosely through a A suitable case l8 encloses the switch elements above referred to, the arm 48, however, extending through a slot 20 in re case. 9 to pass the circuit The case is also provided with a hole wires.

The base and the parts attached to its are supported on the drive shaft housing 26 by means ofa clamp bracket composed of a strap 2| secured to the sides of the base by screws 25 and carried under the base, as at 23, and then formed as a loop 22 around the housing 26, to which it is secured by a bolt and nut The housing 26 is slotted at 51 so that the arm may pass out of the housing, the inner end of the arm having an eye to receive the distributor shaft 3| spring 4| that is held the arm 40 and a the housing.

and lie against the head 32 thereof, against which it is held with some friction by a in the housing 26 between bushing 38 held in one end of A ring 39 in a groove 35 in the distributor shaft prevents bushing 38 spring 4|.

One end of from being forced out by the shaft 3| has a recess enter the mating parts of the other section 59 of the speedometer shaft.

The housing 26 has one end 2'! threaded to enter the swivel coupling nut 5 of the speedometer shaft housing 50, and it has provided with a swivel coupling nut 30 to receive the threaded end 59 of the housing of the speedometer shaft section 59 (see swivel nut 30 is held located in a groove best shown in Figure When the unit switch is Figure 1). The a split ring 29 the housing 26, as

in place by 28 in 3.

mounted as a part of the speedometer instrument itself (see Figure 7), the drive shaft housing 46 is modified as shown, as is also the of the distributor sha bushing 41, and the end 49 ft 48 is keyed, at 50, to the speedometer drive pinion 45. The housing 36 is mounted rigidly in the back wall 44 of the speedometer case (not shown). The housing QB, in this form, is provided with the male threads only Like the housing 26, the housing 46 has a slot 58 through which the arm 40 is passed.

The proper contact bolts 5 are connected to a terminal of their respective signal lamps 53-434, While the bolts 'l-'l are connected electrically with the battery B. Battery B and the other terminals of all signal lamps 53, 54, 55 (red) and 56 (yellow) are suitably grounded (see Figure 8, for example).

So far as described, the foregoing portion of my invention operates as follows: assume the parts 59 3ll, and 2l-6 of the speedometer drive to be coupled to the drive shaft housing. If the vehicle is at rest, the spring it (which is strong enough to overcome the inertia of the arm ll!) will hold the arm in its mid-position to allow contacts l35'to remain separated. When the vehicle moves forwardly the arm GE will be swung over to close one pair of contacts iii-5 which close the circuit that energizes the green light 53;: if thevehicle moves backwardly, the arm 49 will be swung over to close the other pair of contacts l3-5, to close the circuit of the white light 54.

While I have illustrated-the signal 53 as a light bulb, it is obvious that, a bell, horn or other audible signalmay be substituted therefor or used in addition thereto.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is thought that the complete construction, operation and advantages of the invention will be clear to those skilled-in the art..

What I claim is:

1. In an automobile traffic signal, a drive shaft housing having an opening in its wall, a drive shaft mounted in said housing, an arm loosely mounted on said shaft in said housing and projecting through said opening, a spring on said shaft, said shaft having a shoulder against which said spring presses said arm, whereby said arm is frictionally held to be turned with said shaft, means limiting the degree of turning of said arm only, a support, means mounting said support on said drive shaft housing, a light spring rod mounted on said support, said arm having a hole through which said rod projects to restore said arm to a neutral position when rotation of said shaft ceases, and switch contacts on said support adapted to be closed by said arm when it is defiected from its neutral position.

2. A circuit closer for automobile traffic signals, comprising a base, two springy contact members mounted on said base and insulated from each other, two relatively rigid contact members also mounted on said base and insulat'edfromone another and from said springy contact members.

said springy contact members lying in position between rigid contact, members and including contact ends terminating adjacent but; normallyspaced fronrsaid rigid contact members, a neutral spring mounted on said base, a drive shaft housing,.means mountingsaid base on said housing, a drive shaft in said housing,,an arm free on said shaft, means to hold said arm to move with said shaft on-its axis, means to limit the degree of movement of said arm, said'arm projecting between said springy contact members and being connected with said neutral spring, and means insulating said arm from said springy contact members.

WILLIAM MOELLER 

